Gribbons, Michael Klimke, Steffen Peters and Germany’s Young Rider coach Oliver Oelrich. “Annually, we’ve aimed to make every year’s symposium more meaningful than the year before and, quite honestly, every year has been great,” Susanne says proudly.
Celebrating a Decade The ten year anniversary of the YDHTS was celebrated in November 2014. All past participants were invited to attend three days of training and festivities. Unlike other years where new ‘blood’ was added to the group by invitation or application, the tenth anniversary event was exclusively for alumni. Five out of the many guest conductors who had appeared
at prior annual events along with seventy trainers and ten riding participants shared in this special occasion. Guest conductors Anne Gribbons, Michael Klimke, Oliver Oelrich and Ingo Pape all gave individual attention to participant trainers in one-on-one meetings. It was an opportunity to ask the experts business or training questions and tips on life in the industry. With open communications warmly welcomed, many shared their own life lessons in the sport. The celebration concluded, thanks to the continuing
kindness and generosity of YDHTS partners John and Leslie Malone, with a beautiful sit-down commemoration banquet that provided a festive opportunity to announce special educational awards. Additionally, the Malones sponsored seven $5,000 training grants to deserving alumni so that they could personally work with leaders of past symposiums: Scott Hassler, Ingo Pape, Michael Klimke, Ulf Möller, Anne Gibbons, Steffen Peters and Oliver Oelrich. “We had an overwhelming number of participants apply
for these seven available scholarships,” Susanne exclaims. “The participants expressed with whom they preferred to work, but the winners did not get to choose. Scott struggled to reach a decision as to who would best work with whom.” Reese Koffler-Stanfield worked this past winter season
with Michael Klimke, Brendan Curtis went to train with Ulf Möller during the entire month of April, J.J. Tate trains with Scott Hassler, Katie Poag was awarded a grant to train with Anne Gribbons, Eliza Sydnor-Romm will train with Oliver Oelrich in Germany, Brandi Benedict from Region 1 was awarded the grant for Steffen Peters’ time and Kathi Haworth is working with Ingo Pape.
Past Participants Respond
Eliza Sydnor-Romm One of the seven grant recipients, Eliza Sydnor-Romm of Braeburn Farm in Snow Camp, North Carolina, praises the annual YDHTS. “It has been tremen- dously important to my career and has fueled my passion for young horses and deepened my knowledge in working with them,” she remarks. Eliza also explains what has been most meaningful are the
true friendships she developed. “I had seven YDHTS alumni at my wedding. One particular close friend and I surprisingly
gave birth to our babies on the exact same day—that would be Kelly McGinn. We not only talk about our horses, but we’re also navigating our first year of mother- hood together,” she says with a chuckle. Besides express-
ing gratitude for her grant with Oliver Oelrich, Eliza shares an impor- tant concept that she has learned. “Scott would often say and what I repeat all the time to students is that ‘the transi- tion isn’t over until you’re in the quality walk, trot or canter you want.’ This means you must have a high standard and know what kind of tempo, balance and connection you’re after and ask for that immediately. With a young horse, you plausibly won’t get it immediately so it might take five to ten strides, but the transition (up or down) isn’t complete until you are satisfied with the quality of the new gait. Eventually, the horse learns to pick up the quality gait you want from the first stride.”
Eliza riding Flip Side, a 2010 Hanove- rian mare by Fuerst Romancier bred by Marcia Boeing, whom Eliza also rode in the 2014 symposium.
She also describes another of the program’s lasting bene-
fits. “Now it’s easy to recommend trainers to students of ours who move far away, as well as owners and breeders we meet who are looking for quality riders anywhere in the country. We also help each other with marketing young horses. I’ve acquired students and horses in training because of recom- mendations from other YDHTS trainers.”
Reese Koffler-Stanfield “When I arrived with a four- year-old, I truly had no idea how to train him,” says scholar- ship recipient Reese Koffler-Stanfield of Maplecrest Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, one of three 10-year YDHTS alumni. “No one had ever really taught me or, frankly, even addressed how to train a young horse. Now I have the confidence to train, ride and teach my own students how to effectively train a young dressage horse. I’ve been able to successfully breed three wonderful horses and would never have been able to do that without the help from the YDHTS.”
Reese riding Hello, a.k.a. Town and Coun- try Elancourt, a 2009 KWPN gelding by Ampere.
Warmbloods Today 35
Courtesy Eliza Sydnor-Romm
Cassandra Hummert-Johnson
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